A review by aliyyah
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

adventurous challenging medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was such a good fantasy.

The emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands.

Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

I loved the plot of this book. I felt like it started off a little slow but this novel follows five different characters, so I was never bored. The political intrigue was done so well and is definitely one of my favourite aspects of this book.

The Bone Shard Daughter follows Lin, Jovis, Phalue, Ranami and Sand. These characters are scattered on different islands throughout the Empire but are all connected in some way.

Lin is the Emperor’s daughter and she is desperate for her father’s approval and affection. However, she is also determined, clever and compassionate. I highly enjoyed her point of view, as I was extremely intrigued by the concept of bone shard magic.

Jovis is a smuggler, who finds himself running from one island to the next. His wife disappeared seven years ago and he’s been searching for her ever since. Yet, when people keep asking him for his help, he isn’t able to turn them away. I love the way he begrudgingly ends up helping everyone who asks him, because he’s literally like no I don’t have time for this then two seconds later it’s all fine what you need. He’s never seen himself as a hero, but ultimately that is what he becomes.

Phalue is the governor’s daughter on Nephilanu Island. She loves swordplay, her girlfriend and doesn’t share her father’s taste for excess. She tries her best to be a good person but soon realizes that what she does is not enough. She’s stubborn and has a big heart and I just love everything about her.

Ranami is Phalue’s girlfriend. While Phalue loves her sword, Ranami prefers her books. She also cares immensely for the people of Nephilanu Island and desperately wants to make the world a better place.

Sand is a mysterious character on Maila, who soon uncovers secrets about herself.

I really enjoyed the way everything started to come together between these characters as the novel progressed.

The writing in this book was excellent. Andrea Stewart creates such a rich world and I was pulled in from the very start. The concept of this novel with respect to bone shard magic was so unique and interesting.

This was an amazing fantasy and I cannot recommend it enough. 
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